


Sisters of the Ashes

by Knight_Fury



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28750656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knight_Fury/pseuds/Knight_Fury
Summary: 2 Dunmer women are caught in a strange world. They each have a legacy they wish to uphold, ranging from as far back as the Nerevarine.
Kudos: 1





	1. A Cheeky Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Before you dive more into this, I should probably let you know that this writing is intended for those who have played Skyrim.

It was rather clear that day. The cold wind cut through the mountain air like a newly sharpened dagger. 

The wheels of the cart creaked as they went along the worn pathway. The gentle rocking would normally be soothing. 

This time, it wasn’t.

The people in these carts were being wheeled to their final destination. Most were men and women in blue and grey armour. 

One of the carts had a man in rags, along with a young dunmer woman. The cart in front of them had another dunmer woman sitting with the men and women in light armour. 

Eventually, the unconscious dark elf in the second cart slowly began to wake up. The first thing she noticed was that her hands were bound at the wrists. Where was she? What was happening? She struggled to get her hands loose, to no avail. 

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.”


	2. Storm of Fire and Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Empire is expecting this to be a normal execution. Little knowing of the chaos that is to come for their future.

The Dunmer woman looked up at the nord man, confused. How long had she been out for?

“You were trying to cross the border, right? Same as us and that thief over there.”

She couldn’t find words to speak. 

“Damn you stormcloaks! Skyrim was fine until you came along! The empire was nice and lazy…”  
“We are all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief.”

The dark elf had heard the name “Stormcloaks” in passing conversations when she was in Cyrodil. She had been in the Legion reserves for some time, but she was called to fight in the Battle of the Red Ring. A single battle in what seemed to be an endless war. 

“Stormcloaks…? You’re part of the rebellion?”  
“Are you an outsider to Skyrim, dark elf?”  
“I am...however, the things I’ve heard are...not the greatest.”  
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those Imperial Dogs…”  
“I’d be telling a lie if I said I wasn’t, my brother in binds.”  
“Do not call me your brother you Imperial scum!”  
“Do you think I wanted to join in on this forsaken war? No, I didn’t. But they needed my help to fight the Thalmor in Cyrodil. And they wouldn’t let me fight if I didn’t at least join their reserve ranks. I understand how frustrated you are with the Empire...but do you not understand this whole ‘Civil War’ in Skyrim is exactly what the Thalmor want? They want Skyrim to be weakened so they can fully take over.”  
“How can I be sure a dog like yourself is telling the truth?”  
“Why do you think I’m in this cart with you? I dared to stand up to the Thalmor when they started bringing their tyranny after the war.”

The Stormcloak man fell silent with shock.

“I don’t see you as an enemy, my dear Stormcloak friend. I simply see you as someone who took a different path to achieve a common goal. Protecting Skyrim.”

There was suddenly a ruckus from the cart in front of them. It looked like the Dunmer woman on that cart had managed to hide a dagger to cut her bindings off. 

“By Talos, what’s going on??”

The bound Dunmer woman looked closely at the one who was now struggling against the other bound Stormcloaks in her cart.

“Men! Pull over!”

The carts came to an abrupt stop as an Imperial soldier dismounted his horse and ran to the cart with the ruckus. 

The man attempted to seize the Dunmer woman, while the Stormcloaks tried to do the same. She took her dagger and slashed it across the face of the Imperial soldier, causing him to stagger back. She quickly jumped down from the cart and ran into the treeline.

“Archers!”

The archers shot a volley of arrows, but they all missed as she disappeared into the forest.

“Who was that, dark elf?”  
“I don’t know...I’d be scared to run into her.”

She suddenly began to shake her head.

“Are you alright?”  
“My head hurts like hell…”

She growled and shook her head.

“I wish you weren’t one of their dogs, dark elf. I think we would’ve made great friends.”  
“It doesn’t have to be that way. If we can join forces, we can protect Skyrim from the Thalmor, and we can freely worship Talos again.”  
“But we unfortunately have a coward of an emperor. How can you support him?”  
“Because he had to play the role of the coward to ensure Skyrim’s survival...think of who the enemy is, dear Stormcloak.”

The Imperial soldier shook his head and mounted his horse again as the carts got back on track.

“Are we almost there?”  
“I can see the city walls. It looks like Helgen.”  
“I think I was stationed there for about a week, then I got sent back to Cyrodil for some time.”  
“I used to be sweet on a girl from this place. I wonder if Vilod still makes the mead with the juniper berries mixed in.”  
“He did when I was stationed here.”  
“When were you stationed here, dark elf?”  
“Let’s see...the Concordat was signed 26 years ago, then the Markarth Incident was 5 years after that...so I was stationed here about a year before Torygg was killed.”  
“I see. It’s comforting to know he still does. What is your name, Dunmer?”  
“I am Shoda Hearthenia.”  
“I’ve thinkheard that surname from somewhere.”

Shoda shrugged her shoulders as the carts began to stop. She felt like her head may burst open at any moment. 

The horse thief was the first to speak. 

“Why are we stopping?”  
“Why do you think? End of the line.”

Everyone carefully jumped down from their carts with somber expressions.

“When you hear your name, step forth to the block.”  
“The Empire loves their damn lists…”  
“Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm.”  
“It was an honor, Jarl Ulfric!”  
“Ralof of Riverwood.”

Shoda watched the two armored men in the cart with her walk to the executioner’s block.

“Lokir of Roriskstead!”  
“No you can’t do this! I’m not a rebel! This is a mistake!”  
He started running away to the gates.

“Halt!”  
“You’re not going to kill me!”  
“Archers!”

The archers killed him. 

“Anyone else feel like running?”

Shoda started to groan from her head hurting. She nearly buckled over, raising her hands to her head. The imperial soldier who was on the horse behind her cart noticed this.

“Are you alright, miss?”  
“Why are you concerned…”  
“My apologies.”

He looked down at his list, and he was shocked.

“Sh...oda Hearthenia- That can’t be right. Captain?”  
“Let me see that thing!”

The captain took the list and looked between it and Shoda.

“She’s...on the list?”  
“I can see that, but why?”

Shoda shook her head, feeling like it may crack from the pressure she was feeling. 

“Something’s not right…”

An ominous roaring sound echoed in the distance. Her head began to hurt more.

“We...we can’t stay here, something’s going to happen!”  
“Are you sure, lass?”  
“Yes...w-where is your commander? He may believe me…”  
“I’ll go fetch him.”

The Imperial soldier ran to a different part of the town as Shoda stood with the Imperial Captain.

The headsman and priestess of Arkay looked at the captain, confused.

“Just wait a minute, alright?”

To be fair, everyone looked confused out of their minds. 

Another ominous, distant roar was heard as Shoda nearly collapsed, holding her head.

“Hadvar will be here with General Tullius in just a minute.”

Shoda nodded and stood back up. 

Just as the captain said, the Imperial Soldier named Hadvar was running back with a man in regal armour. 

“Shoda?? What are you doing here??”  
“Stood up to the Thalmor…”

The General looked between Hadvar and the Captain, shocked. 

“Hadvar told me you think something is wrong, what is it?”

The ominous roar could be heard again, closer this time. Shoda fell to her knees, groaning,

“That! If we don’t get out of here, none of us will survive!”  
“That woman is delusional.”

An Altmer woman in dark robes walked up behind the General.

“Nothing is going to happen here. Now step to the block, traitor.”  
“You don’t understand, please listen!”

A shadow swept over Helgen. 

“What was that??”

The General turned to Ulfric, who just shook his head to say “This isn’t me, I’m as lost as you are.”

A deafening roar sounded out over the town as a terrifying, atramentous dragon perched itself on one of the guard towers. Chaos began to break out.

“What in the name of Oblivion??”  
“Dragon!”

Shoda stood up and looked the dragon in the eyes, terrified.  
“We need to get out of here, now!” 

Shoda noticed everyone scattering in different directions as fire and stone began to rain from the sky. Her gaze darted around, trying to find a way to go. 

She saw Hadvar running with General Tullius, so she ran after them. She was barely missed by a flaming stone which landed on the ground, inches from her back. The force sent her stumbling forwards. She quickly regained her footing and ran to the General’s side. 

“General Tullius what’s happening?”  
“I don’t know! Doesn’t look like the Stormcloaks know either!”  
“Could it be the Thalmor??”  
“I don’t know! Let’s focus on getting out of here!”

Hadvar took the lead in trying to evacuate citizens from the town. He saw numerous battlemages make an insignificant effort to bring the dragon down. 

“Does nothing kill that damned thing??”  
“If there were, wouldn't it be dead by now??”

Far into the forest, the escaped Dunmer woman could see the chaos.   
“Well that’s just too bad. I’m glad I managed to escape.”

She jumped from the branch she was perched on and continued to run into the forest. She had heard rumours of a guild of assassins. Hopefully she could see the end of this day and then find a way to be recruited. 

Back in Helgen, Hadvar had managed to lead a number of people to a keep which had a tunnel system leading out of the town. 

Ralof had managed to find his own way to the keep.

“Ralof! You damned traitor! Out of my way!”  
“We’re escaping Hadvar! You aren’t going to stop us this time!”  
“Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!”  
“Wait! Please!”

The two Nords turned to Shoda.

“Ralof, come with us, once we’re inside I can help explain, but please, I need you to come with us and for both of you to put your differences aside for long enough!”

They looked at eachother and growled.  
“Fine!”  
“Fine!”

The three rushed into the keep, with a volley of flaming stones blocking the door right behind them.


	3. Beneath the Firefight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoda has managed to escape into the Helgen Keep, believing things will go back to normal when she escapes.
> 
> However, Skyrim is just now catching wind of an escaped criminal who is keen on keeping her tracks covered.

Shoda, Ralof, and Hadvar were now in the security of the Helgen Keep. Shoda collapsed from coming down from the shock as Hadvar turned to Ralof.

“You sure you have nothing to do with this?”  
“Does it look like I know anything about that thing?!”   
“Just making sure.”  
“And what about you, Hadvar? You’re awfully quiet.”  
“Oh for the love of Talos!-”  
“So NOW you believe in Talos?”  
“We never STOPPED believing in him Ralof-”  
“If so then why-”  
“For the love of Azura can you two pipe down for FIVE MINUTES?!”

Shoda was rubbing her temples in an irritated manner.

“It’s obvious neither of you know a thing about that damned creature. So quit pointing fingers! I don’t know why that thing suddenly appeared, it just did!”

She sat down on the cold, stone floor. Hadvar looked down at her.

“Do you want me to cut your bindings off?”  
“Yes please…”

She stood up and walked over to Hadvar. He took a sharpened iron dagger and carefully cut through the rope binding her wrists. Ralof looked at them, curious.

“Pardon me, but what are your ranks?”

Hadvar seemed shocked by the question. 

“Why do you want to know?”  
“It’s out of a matter of curiosity. That and I am still confused as to why one of your own was on that cart with us.”

Hadvar looked at Shoda and then back to Ralof and sighed.

“I’m currently at the rank of a Tribune”  
“And you, dark elf?”  
“When I was stationed in Helgen I was an Auxiliary unit. But over the year between then and now, I rose to the rank of a Praefect.   
“So you weren’t by any means a low ranking soldier when you were carted, correct?”  
“It depends on what you mean by ‘low ranking’, but yes, I suppose you could say that.”  
“So Hadvar. If this woman was at the rank she was, why was she on that cart in the first place?”  
“I’m...afraid I don’t know for-”  
“For the hundredth time! I said I stood up to the Thalmor! It wasn’t the Legion having me executed! It was the bloody Thalmor!”

Hadvar looked at Shoda in an almost sympathetic manner.

“I’d have to say, you’re quite braver than many officers I’ve met, Miss Shoda. Standing up to the Thalmor alone.”  
“I had to stand up when they wanted me to exterminate a small settlement of men, women, and children who were worshiping Talos. To this day I don’t know if anyone there survived after I was arrested.”

Ralof looked disheartened at the story she was telling. Hadvar turned to him.

“Do you understand why the Emperor had to sign the Concordat now, Ralof? When this is our enemy, we can’t afford to stand up to them. Not without significant resources, which are being used by them.”

Ralof looked away silently. Shoda approached him.

“If we want to assure that not only Skyrim, but all of Tamriel is safe from the influence of the Thalmor, we need to not fight like this. We need to put our differences to the side!” 

Ralof looked at the floor before looking Shoda and Hadvar in the eyes. He nodded. Shoda smiled.

“Nice. Now let’s get the hell out of here, eh?”

Ralof nodded and looked at Hadvar. He smirked and gave him a thumbs up.

“It’s good to have your back, friend.”

Ralof nodded with a beaming smile.

“If we come across my brother and sisters in arms, we may be able to convince them to yield.”

Shoda nodded, but a thought crossed her mind.  
“What about Ulfric? I doubt he’d be willing to lend his support to the Empire, even if we lend our support to him.”  
“I’m unsure what Jarl Ulric will do. We can only hope he will do what is best for Skyrim.”

Shoda nodded, and began to look around the room for some spare gear to wear. She didn’t exactly like the fact she was unarmoured. 

She found a set of light armor in a chest along with an iron sword. Not her choice weapon, but it was far better than nothing. It’s not like she had the unarmed skills of a Khajiit. 

“Uh...could you two turn the other way for a moment?”

Ralof and Hadvar stood behind a wall, quietly talking to each other. 

Shoda carefully slid off the rags she was wearing, and even more carefully slid on the light armour. She laced the boots up to be secure, but she decided to not don the helmet.

“Alright, I’m decent.”

Hadvar and Ralof then walked back to where Shoda was standing.

“Ready?”  
“Yeah.”

Fainted screams could be heard in the keep. Ralof looked shocked.

“What was that, Hadvar??”  
“There is a torture room in the keep...I have tried to have it changed where don’t use them…”

Ralof turned to Shoda, and she bore a somber look.

“We only started using them when the Thalmor came into control…”

She put her hands to her mouth in a sickened way when she heard footsteps coming from area of the torture room. 

Ralof stood silently, bearing a disgusted face. Hadvar knew this wasn’t exactly doing any favors.

Shoda looked away from the two, gripping the hilt of her sword.

“Can we get going?”

The two Nord men nodded as Shoda took the lead. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The Dunmer woman who had escaped from Helgen had just now made her way to Riverwood. She was relieved at the absence of guards, but she knew she still had to be careful. She did have a bounty on her head, but it was in a different hold. 

She noticed a man in a blacksmiths’ attire, and approached him. She made sure to wear a polite smile. 

“Pardon me, sir.”

The man set down his sword and looked up at her from the sharpening stone.

“How can I help you, lass?”  
“I couldn’t help but notice you were running this forge. I was wondering if you have anything for sale?”  
“Of course. We make the finest weapons and armor outside of the Hold capitals.”

The Dumner woman browsed the selection for a while. She settled on purchasing two steel daggers. 

“Thank you for your business, ma’am.”  
“You’re most certainly welcome.”  
“I feel like you look familiar. What is your name by chance?”

She knew she had to be careful with her answer. Perhaps she could just say her first name. On second thought, perhaps not.

“I am a daughter of the Shadow Heart.”  
“That’s...interesting. Not keen on giving your name?”  
“Afraid so.”  
“That’s a shame. Hope to see you around again.”  
“We’ll have to see about that.”

The woman stepped away from the forge as a courier ran up to her. He had been running throughout Riverwood to deliver a message. 

“I’d be careful if I were you, ma’am. Word has it that a serial killer has escaped from the Solitude Jail.”  
“Thank you. I’ll keep an eye out.”

The courier did a wave before running about Riverwood to deliver the news to the residents.

The woman carefully unfolded the letter. Surely enough, it was about her. She carefully ducked behind a tree and read the letter. 

“ Citizens of Skyrim. “

“It is of the utmost importance that we inform you of an escaped criminal from the Castle Dour dungeon of Solitude. 

The escaped prisoner is a Dunmer woman by the name of Sodara Hearthenia.

Shodara is described as having ‘Grey skin the shade of light ash with crimson eyes’. 

She also has a faint scar on her left cheek that is difficult to see from a distance, as well as a mark depicting Sithis on the back of her neck. 

Shodara is a dangerous assassin and should not be engaged in combat if encountered. 

If you see her, please report her to the nearest guardsman.

Solitude Hold Guard “

Shodara used her magic to burn the paper into a pile of ashes.  
“They don’t waste any time, do they…”

She noticed the courier walking into the Sleeping Giant inn, so she decided to follow him. That’s when the black dragon swooped down over the Barrow on the mountain. She ducked into the inn to avoid it. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Shoda, Hadvar, and Ralof were standing outside of a cave that led out from the Helgen Keep. They were amongst a division of Imperial and Stormcloak soldiers. Hadvar turned to them.

“Ralof and I will be returning to Riverwood. I would advise you lot go your own way, as it would look very strange if this size of a group of Imperials and Stromcloaks wandered into such a small settlement as Riverwood. May Talos preserve you.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as they started off in their different directions. 

Ralof and Hadvar began to go on the path to Riverwood when Hadvar noticed that Shoda hadn’t moved yet. He turned around, and the both of them stopped.

“You alright, Miss Shoda?”  
“I don’t know where to go...nowhere feels right…”  
“You can come with us to Riverwood. My uncle runs the forge there.”  
“And my sister runs the lumber mill.”

She stood silently. Hadvar stepped towards her, but she shrunk away. She responded the same when Ralof tried to step towards her. 

“You don’t feel like you belong anywhere, do you?”

Shoda shook her head.

“I’m considering withdrawing from the main Legion and just being with the reserves again...I can’t be on the main field again...not after Cyrodil…”  
“I understand what you’re saying...I still get nightmares from the ones I’ve killed…”  
“Aye. Any time I swing my weapon, for a moment I see the faces of the fallen and I feel them falling again, even if what I’m striking isn’t human.”

Shoda looked at her hands, trembling slightly. She felt like she could still feel the warmth of blood coating her hands again. 

She looked away from Hadvar and Ralof for a moment.

“Before I joined the Legion, I was a member of the Fighter’s Guild in Cyrodil. Is there a way for me to join them here?”

Ralof was the one to answer.

“The Fighter’s Guild and Mages Guild actually don’t have a presence in Skyrim. The Mages Guild because many people began to distrust mages after the Oblivion Crisis, and because the majority of the Thalmor are well-trained battlemages. The College of Winterhold is the closest you’ll get to the Mages Guild here, as they’ve always stood by themselves. As far as the Fighter’s Guild, there’s a mead hall in Whiterun called Jorrvaskr. The Companions reside there, and they accept those looking for...well companionship. They aren’t called The Companions for nothing.”  
“That actually sounds rather lovely.”

Hadvar chuckled to himself.

“They’re a lively bunch, that’s for sure. They’ve come through Riverwood now and again, and it was never a boring sight.”  
“That’s nice to know. Thank you.”

Ralof and Hadvar nodded. 

“I think I’ll follow you two to Riverwood, is that alright?”

Ralof nodded.

“Of course, Dark Elf. There’s an inn there to rest before you head to Whiterun.”  
“Sounds nice.”

The three walked the worn path which led to Riverwood. Shoda often veered from the path to pick the mountain flowers she saw growing. Ralof and Hadvar conversed as they walked. 

Shoda saw three stone obelisks on the path. She approached them.

Hadvar looked amused.

“Ah, these are the Guardian Stones. Three of the ancient thirteen Standing Stones which dot the landscape of Skyrim. It’s believed they give blessings to those who wish to receive them.”

Ralof nodded.

“See for yourself.”

Shoda carefully stepped closer. 

The Stones had regal designs of constellations carved into them. The leftmost Stone depecticed a thief in robes. The middle Stone depicted a warrior with an axe. And the rightmost stone depicted a mage with a staff. 

Shoda approached the Stone with the warrior, and placed her hand on the surface. She felt a surge of energy rush through her entire being as a beam of light shot into the sky.

Ralof and Hadvar looked at each other pleased. Shoda turned to Hadvar.

“Are we almost to Riverwood?”  
“Aye, we are.”  
“Good…I’m exhausted…”

The three started back on the pathway to Riverwood. Shoda noticed a strange black structure on the mountain overlooking the river. Ralof shivered in his boots.

“What’s that thing?”  
“That place is called Bleak Falls Barrow. I still don’t understand how my sister can live in it’s shadow. It’s a wonder the draugr haven’t come down the mountain and invaded the village.”  
“What are draugr?”

Hadvar spoke dryly.

“To put it simply, the living dead.”  
“That sounds lovely…”

Shoda saw a few buildings further along the path.

“Is that Riverwood?”

Hadvar and Ralof nodded. 

“Right then. I’m going to go on ahead. Thank you both.”

Ralof gave a thumbs up with a smile. Hadvar nodded with an equally pleasant smile. 

Shoda went on her way into the village. It was rather quiet, save for an elderly woman yelling about how she saw a dragon. Her son didn't believe her. Shoda wanted to butt in, but she felt it best not to. 

She saw a small goods store and decided to step inside to trade a few things and hopefully buy a spell tome. She noticed a Dunmer woman in a black robe exiting the inn, but didn’t think much off it. 

As she stepped inside, the shop owners were arguing about a stolen item. Shoda approached the brother as the sister stepped outside. 

“Pardon me sir, is there trouble?”  
“Well, yes. Some thieves came in not too long ago and stole a family valuable. We believe they took it to the barrow on the mountain.”  
“Of course they did...what is that they stole?”  
“It’s a trinket shaped like a dragon claw and is made of pure gold.”  
“That’s interesting.”  
“If you’re able to get it back by chance, I’ll give you a reward for it.”  
“I’m not one to do things for rewards, but I’ll see what I can do for you, sir.”  
“Thank you, ma’am.”  
“Before I go, you wouldn’t happen to have a Frostbite spell tome, would you?”  
“As a matter of fact I do.”  
“I’ll take it.”

Shoda places a few septims on the counter as the man placed a blue spell tome on the counter.

“Thank you. I’ll see what I can do about the dragon claw.”  
“You’re welcome, and thanks again.”  
Shoda stepped outside and noticed Hadvar being hugged by his aunt and uncle, and Ralof being hugged by his sister. It was nice to see them get home. 

She sighed and walked over to the inn, rubbing her head slightly. The first thing she noticed was the calm atmosphere. A bard was in the corner playing a quiet song, while a woman was speaking to the man running the inn about how the ale had gone bad. She approached the man at the counter.

“Pardon me, sir.”

He looked up from wiping the counter. The woman stared at her from a distance, as if she knew something.

“How can I help you, miss?”  
“I’d like to rent a room for the night.”  
“Sure thing. That’ll be 10 septims.”

Shoda placed the coins on the counter. 

“You can choose any room for the night.”

Shoda nodded. When she turned around, she noticed that one of the doors was cracked open. 

Out of curiosity, she pushed the door open. Her soul nearly left her body as she screamed.

The courier that was traveling the Hold was dead on the floor, his face pale from poison.


	4. 4E201, 17th of Last Seed, Morndas. Shodara Hearthenia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shodara makes an entry in her journal.

“I’ve managed to escape the eyes of the Imperial guard again. They’re annoyingly persistent.”

“I saw a dragon attacking the town that the carts were heading to. It’s rather unfortunate, but at least I was not there with them. I also saw her there…”

“She’s foolish if she can think she can escape where she came from. I doubt she even knows how to use the blessing of the Ancestor’s Guardian like most Dunmer can.”

“When I reached a settlement that’s called Riverwood, I was able to procure some new daggers and a few vials of frostbite venom.”

“Unfortunately, there was a courier already going about Whiterun hold to tell everyone that I am on the prowl. A perfectly good vial of venom...gone just like that. But I have to leave as little tracks as possible.”

“I’ve caught wind of a boy in the Windhelm Hold supposedly trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage."


	5. Shadow of the Wind’s Helm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shodara goes to Windhelm to see if she can find a lead on joining the Dark Brotherhood.

Shodara was walking through the shadows of the forest. The cool mountain air was soothing to her.

She had saved enough septims through trading to afford a carriage ride to Windhelm. She managed to avoid the farms and houses on the outskirts of the city of Whiterun - the namesake of the Hold. She saw a number of guards wandering the road that lead around the city and the outskirts. Even if her bounty wasn’t in Whiterun, she knew they would still find a way to alert the guards of Solitude. 

She carefully approached the carriage driver, making sure to keep her hair covering the back of her neck.

“Good morning good sir!”  
“Good morning madam! Are you looking to get a ride?”  
“Yes sir. I’d like to go to Windhelm if you please.”  
“Wonderful. Did you know it’s the oldest city in Skyrim?”  
“Why no, I didn’t know that.”  
“You a newcomer?”  
“As a matter of fact I am. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I am in a hurry. I’m more than willing to chat on the road, however.”  
“Of course. The ride will cost 20 septims.”  
“Sounds good! Here you go!”

She handed over a small pouch which contained the septims needed to travel.

“Climb on back and we’ll be off.”

Shodara pulled herself up into the back of the carriage. She took a seat, and pulled the hood of her robes over her eyes.

Her previous ride in a carriage was quite nerve racking. She was grateful that she could return to seeing carriage rides as something that brought her comfort. She listened to the creeks of the wheels and the patter of the horse’s hooves on the stone road. 

“So what’s got you going to Windhelm? I hear there’s a lot of strange happenings there. Haven’t had many passengers going there because of it.”  
“I’m going there to investigate those strange happenings as a matter of fact.”  
“Are you now? Well best be on the lookout. Rumor has it there’s a serial killer on the loose there, but they only stay in Windhelm.”  
“Interesting. Seems to be that more serial killers are on the prowl as of late. First that madwoman who attempted to assassinate Jarl Elisif, and now this lunatic in Windhelm.”  
“I have to wonder if the Stormcloaks sent that assassin…”  
“From what I’ve heard, they didn’t. Just some Dark Brotherhood wannabe big shot. There wasn’t a contract or anything. Just someone in over their head from what I’ve heard.”  
“You seem to know a lot about this case.”  
“Oh I’m very much intrigued by these sorts of things. I make it a personal priority to find any information I can. Which is why I’m going to Windhelm. Rumor has it someone is attempting to contact the Dark Brotherhood. I’m wanting to investigate it so I can try to stop them.”  
“That’s a noble task, ma’am. But I don’t think it's any issue. The Brotherhood has fallen faster than a chicken from High Hrothgar. They’re just a band of lowlife cutthroats now.”  
“I see…”

She remained silent for the rest of the carriage ride to Windhelm. 

“Alright, we’re here.”  
“Thank you, good sir.”

She gave him 10 septims as a tip before climbing down from the carriage. 

The first thing she noticed was that it was much colder in Windhelm than Riverwood and Whiterun. Shodara was more used to the temperate climate of Morrowind and Cyrodil. 

She pulled her robe close as she walked up to the Windhelm gate. She noticed a few guards staring at her as she walked along the stone bridge. Did they know who she was?

“Halt!”  
A guard suddenly stepped in front of her, and she halted her pace.

“How can I help you, sir?”

The guard looked down at a paper he was holding, and looked back up at Shodara. He nodded at a guard to the side who approached and walked behind her. Shodara noticed she was a female guard. 

“Is there an issue?”  
“We just need to make sure you don’t know who this woman is.”

He showed her the paper he was holding. It was a wanted poster. It captured Shodara in perfect detail.

She suddenly felt the guard behind her pull her hair up from the back of the neck. She charged a fury spell in each hand.

“It’s her!”

As the guards moved to apprehend her, she placed a hand on either of their shoulders . The spell took its effect. They started to turn their aggression to each other as they swung their weapons at each other. 

The female guard swung her war axe into the thigh of the male guard, glazing it like a hot knife through butter. Blood splattered the ground in a thick pool.

The male guard took his sword and thrusted it into the shoulder of the female guard. Blood poured out in a similar manner. The other guards on the bridge ran to them to restrain the two to keep them from killing each other.

The distraction allowed Shodara to quietly slip into the shadows of Windhelm. 

She noticed two men speaking to another dunmer woman, but she couldn’t risk being discovered to interfere. 

Shodara stayed within the security and comfort of the shadows as she went to the right side of the city. She overheard a woman speaking to a child.

“Is it true? That Aventus Aretino is trying to do the Black Sacrament? So he can summon the Dark Brotherhood.”  
“Those are just rumors, young one. You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”  
“Well if it’s really just a rumor, then I can go and ask him to play, right? His house is right there after all.”  
“No, stop!”

She quieted her voice as a volley of guards ran past. Shodara ducked into the shadows as one guard approached the woman with the boy.

“Have you seen this woman? She is a serial killer who escaped Solitude and has infiltrated the city.”

The woman shook her head, shocked. 

“Thank you for your time, ma’am.”

The guard joined the rest of the volley. The woman led the boy away from the house, speaking quietly to him. 

This was her chance. Shodara crept from the shadows and approached the door. It was locked. She took out a few lockpicks and fiddled with the lock. She did break a few, but she eventually unlocked the door, and carefully stepped inside. 

The house was dimly lit with candles as an eerie feeling lingered in the air. Shodara could hear the repeated sound of a dagger striking the wooden floor. 

A young boy’s voice was chanting softly.  
“Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your child unto me. For the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear.”

Shodara gently climbed the stairs of the house, keeping her stride silent. She found the boy amongst a mess of bones, a bundle of flesh, and a preserved heart. The effigy was surrounded by candles with nightshade flowers adorning the wooden floor. Shodara spoke softly. 

“Young one.”

Aventus stopped what he was doing, and sighed with relief. 

“Finally! You’ve arrived! I was doing the Black Sacrament over and over again with the body and the...uh…”

Shoda tried her best to look professional.

“Yes of course, the Sacrament. How may I help you, young one?”  
“There’s a place in Riften called Honorhall Orphanage. It’s run by a cruel woman named Gelod the Kind. That’s who I want you to kill.”

Shodara was shocked, but she didn’t allow herself to show it. She wasn’t put back at the request to kill, but she was put back at the thought of killing someone in front of children. Especially someone who cares for them. Then again, she hadn’t exactly met this woman before. 

“I see. I hope you are aware of the fact that assassinations aren’t particularly the cheapest thing to afford. How do you plan to provide compensation?”

Aventus looked up at Shodara for a moment as he thought of an answer. 

“I have an old heirloom that should fetch you a nice price! I wasn’t left with much when my mother died…”

Aventus pointed to a plate on a high shelf. Shodara simply turned and sighed.

“You don’t have to give that up...tell you what, I’ll take care of this Grelod woman, if you agree to go back to Honorhall afterwards. Sound fair?”  
“Yes ma’am. Oh, and before you go, there’ll be another woman at the orphanage. Please don’t kill her. She’s actually nice to the children.”  
“Understood.”

Shodara pulled the hood of her robes over her eyes before descending down the stairs. She could hear shuffling outside the door. Preparing for a fight, she gripped a dagger in one hand, and charged a fury spell in the other. 

When she pushed the door open, a volley of guards ambushed her. She didn’t have enough time to react, and there were also too many guards for her to react. 

Her hands were bound and tied behind her back, and her weapons confiscated. 

“You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people! What say you in your defense?”

Shodara evaluated her choices in her mind. She couldn’t exactly pay the bounty she had in Windhelm. It would be rather stupid for her to resist arrest since she was bound, and they could easily kill her on the spot. Shodara sighed.

“I submit...take me to jail. But don’t take the kid away...”

The guards grabbed her by the arms and stood her up to her feet, and they pulled her through the streets of Windhelm. Many of the onlookers seemed grateful that she was captured. She was led into the Palace of Kings, and further into the dungeon. 

Shodara was pushed into a cell, which was then locked. She sat against the walls as many guards stood outside her door.


	6. 4E201, 18th of Last Seed, Tirdas. Shoda Hearthenia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoda recounts what she’s seen in the last day.

“I have to wonder. Who or what is watching over me? And what sort of sense of humor do they have?”

“I was carted by the Thalmor and was sent to be executed in Helgen, the same place I helped to guard for some time. Then a dragon comes in out of nowhere and everything in chaos. My father was a devout follower of Akatosh, along with my mother.”

“I thought I could find rest in an inn, but there was a dead courier. A few men determined that he was poisoned. They took him to be buried somewhere.”

“I find it so strange. I don’t think I can ever understand why these events are unfolding.”

“I just returned a claw artifact to a man in Riverwood. It was able to open an ancient door in the Barrow. I wonder what a man in a small village was doing with it.”

“I also found a strange wall in the deepest chamber. It was written in a language I had never seen before, but I was somehow still able to understand it. As if it was a language from another life. One of the words I was able to decipher was ‘force’.”

“The draugr in the chamber was in possession of a strange stone tablet. I’ll most likely take it to the Jarl of Whiterun. Perhaps someone in their court will know what to do with it.”

“Speaking of which, I should probably put my pen down so I can get to Whiterun.”


	7. A Pack of Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoda encounters a group of fighters who call themselves “The Companions” during her travel to Whiterun. While in the city, a strange sound calls overhead.

Shoda was walking on the path to Whiterun. She enjoyed the scenery and the tranquil feeling of the southern area of Skyrim. 

She decided to slightly deviate from the path, seeing how it just looped around to the same place.

She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. The Skyrim air was so much more different than the air of Cyrodiil and Morrowind. 

Morrowind had an almost burnt smell because of the ashes. She missed her home, but she couldn’t go back after the eruption of Red Mountain. 

Cyrodiil’s air on the other hand had a much more floral and warm feeling to it. She always felt like she was waking up in her mother’s garden. 

But Skryim made her feel more alive. The coolness of the snowy air made her feel rejuvenated with every passing breath. 

As she walked through the gentle shade of the trees, she saw a strange silhouette in the distance. 

It took her a second to realize it was a giant, and that there were a few people attacking it. She thought maybe it was a group of farmers protecting their farm. She pulled out her sword and shield and rushed down the hill.

The giant heard her footsteps and turned away from the ones currently engaged in combat with it. Shoda used this opening to slice into its leg, but it hardly did anything. She backed up. The giant then took its club and slammed it on the ground in Shoda’s direction. The shock sent her stumbling back, but she regained her balance. 

The others seemed confused. Where had this person come from?

One of the three fighters was a woman in light armor with a bow. She notched an arrow and aimed it at the giant’s left eye. She hit it spot on. 

Another woman with dark skin ran by the huntress with a short sword.

“Nice one Aela!”  
“Thanks! Keep your head on, Ria! We don’t wanna have to carry your body back to Jorrvaskr!”  
“I know!”

Ria used her shield to bash the giant’s leg before making several quick strikes. The giant aimed another attack in her direction, but she quickly backed up before it could do any damage. 

Shoda quickly noticed that the people fighting the giant...weren't exactly farmers. Nonetheless, she prepared to charge at the giant again. She didn’t want to leave in the heat of the battle. 

She quickly climbed a nearby tree and launched herself from it, driving her sword into its shoulder. The giant quickly slapped her off of his shoulder, and she went flying backwards. Her back hit a tree and she felt like a few vertebrae cracked, even with the protection of iron armour. 

She managed to pull herself back to her feet, albeit with loose balance. 

That’s when a man in a set of almost regal, heavy armour charged the giant with a greatsword. He hacked at the leg which the Imperial woman attacked before, and managed to bring the giant down to the ground. He then lifted his sword over his shoulder and swung it on the giants back, delivering the final blow. 

The two women who were with him approached him, laughing . The huntress delivered a friendly slap on the back.

“Nice one, ice brain!”  
“Thanks. Your aim definitely helped, Aela. And your quick movements also helped us, Ria. Good job.”  
“Thank you, Farkas!”

Farkas turned to the giant and noticed the stranger’s sword was still in its shoulder. He carefully drew it out, wiping the blood away with a cloth as Aela turned in Dunmer’s direction. 

“As for a different matter…”

Shoda was still trying to heal her wounds from the fight. She was fairly certain she had a mild concussion. She looked up and saw the three fighters approaching her. What did they want? The woman with the bow spoke to her first. 

“You handled yourself pretty well. The thing with the tree was a pretty gutsy move.”

Shoda felt dizzy, but she tried her best to respond. She spoke in a slight dazed tone. 

“Oh, thank you, ma’am.”

The man in the heavy armor noticed her tone.

“I’m...not a healer, Alea, but I think she may need to see one.”  
“I’m sure she’s fine.”  
“Yeah yeah, I’m okay…!”

Shoda stumbled slightly. The Imperial woman looked between the Huntress and the man in the armor, concerned. 

“I just need my magicka to restore, and I’ll be good...!”  
“See, she’s fine you two!”

The Imperial woman spoke again.   
“With all due respect, Aela, if someone untrained in the medical arts can tell if someone needs a healer, that might be a sign they need medical attention. I think Farkas has fought enough to know when someone has a concussion.”

The man nodded.   
“I’ve fought with Vilkas enough to know when someone has one, and when I have one.”

Shoda felt her magicka regain, and used a healing spell on her head. It didn’t help a lot.  
“Yeah...I may need to see someone with more experience…can I have my sword back, please?”

The huntress sighed as the man holding her sword approached her. She noticed that his armour had an almost “wolf” motif about it. 

“My name is Farkas. The woman with the bow is Aela. The woman with the shield is Ria. Who are you?”

“I’m...Shoda Hearthenia. It’s a pleasure to meet you all…!”

Farkas handed Shoda her sword. She noticed right away the blood was wiped off.

“Thank you.”

He nodded.

Aela smirked at Shoda.  
“I think you’d make for an excellent shield-sister!”

Shoda didn’t understand.

“What’s a shield sister…?”  
“Ah, guess you’re not from here? Shield-siblings are what we of the Companions call each other.”

Farkas nodded.

“When you feel better, you should come to Jorrvaskr in Whiterun and be a Companion.”

She hadn’t realized who they were until now.

“Wait, you’re the companions??”

The three of them nodded. Ria spoke with a smile.

“We’d enjoy having you! We always enjoy having new members!”

“I should’ve guessed who you were! I was actually looking to join!”

They looked at each other amused. Alea spoke with a chuckle.

“Well in that case, you’d need to speak to Kodlak Whitemane. He decides if newcomers can become a Companion.”

Shoda nodded, still dizzy. Farkas gave her a thumbs up with a smile.

“I’ll try to vouch for you to my brother and Kodlak.”  
“Thank you, Farkas.”

Shoda placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head before walking up the hill to Whiterun.

When Shoda reached the gate, a guard stepped in front of her.

“Halt! The city is closed with the dragons about! Official business only!”

She didn’t know what to say. She just decided to go with the first truth that came to her mind.

“Forgive me, sir. But Riverwood calls for the aid of the Jarl. I have information regarding the dragon attack that may help the Jarl.”  
“By the Nine...Riverwood too? Go on ahead, then. You’ll want to speak to Jarl Balgruuf. He’s in Dragonsreach at the top of the hill in the Cloud District.”  
“Got it. Thank you, sir.”

Shoda placed her hand on her chest again, and bowed her head to show respect. She carefully walked into the city. 

Immediately upon entering, the city felt lively. She noticed a man in Imperial armour speaking to a blacksmith woman. She didn’t quite understand what they were saying. 

She stepped past them and made her way up the street, hoping to find someone who could help her with her concussion. Or at least find a place to rest first. 

She climbed some stairs to another district of the city. She saw a rather large tree, but it looked like it was withering away. What was happening to it?

Above all of the noise, she could hear a man screaming a sermon about Talos. Rather spiritual man. 

Shoda walked around the circular area, taking in the sights and sounds. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aela, Ria, and Farkas go into a building which looked significantly older than the others in the area. 

“Not right now…”

She saw a woman in yellow robes exit one of the buildings and sit beneath the shade of the great tree. Shoda figured the woman would know where she could go to get medical help.

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

The priestess looked up at Shoda.

“How can I help you, young one?”  
“I’m afraid I may have a mild concussion. I got into a rough fight with a giant before I came here. Do you know where I can go to seek medical attention?”  
“My apprentice and I tend to the injured and sickly in the temple of Kynareth. We can assist you.”  
“Oh. I-if you’re already tending to others, you don’t need to expend crucial resources on an oaf like me. I think I can just use a potion-”  
“Nonsense. Come with me.”

The priestess stood up and gestured for Shoda to follow her. She followed. The priestess led her to a building which was a temple dedicated to Kynareth

The inside of the temple was softly lit with natural sunlight. For once, Shoda felt like she was inside a building in Cyrodiil. There were a few people laid out on stone benches as they waited to be tended to. 

“Have a seat, young one. We’ll get to you as soon as we can.”  
“By all means, take your time! I’m in no hurry.”

The priestess chuckled to herself as she went to tend to a wounded soldier. Shoda eased herself into a chair by the wall.

She let herself take in the atmosphere for a while. She opened her journal and looked at a few of her older entries from before the day prior. 

After a few minutes, she heard the door open. The priestess’ apprentice chuckled out loud. Shoda turned to see who had entered. It was Farkas.

“You again?”  
“Yeah, Vilkas and I got into another fight. Kodlak and Skjor told me to make sure everything was alright.”  
“Well go ahead and have a seat. It may be a moment, though.”  
“That’s fine.”

He walked forward a few steps and noticed Shoda sitting down. She waved slightly.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, uh…”  
“Farkas. And likewise. Thanks for your help earlier, by the way.”  
“N-no problem. I thought you three were farmers, so I wanted to at least provide enough time for guards to arrive. I didn’t know you were the Companions.”  
“Most outsiders don’t.”  
“Uh- if you wish to keep talking, you can sit over here if you’d like.”  
“I don’t really keep conversations that well, but I’ll try to.”  
“Th-that’s fine.”

Shoda wasn’t exactly used to speaking to someone who looked like they could hurl her across the room with little effort. Farkas carefully sat down in a chair close to her.

“I’m guessing you have a lot of fighting experience, since you held yourself as well as you did.”

Shoda nodded.

“I competed in the Imperial City arena, and I was a member of the Fighter’s Guild until I was pulled to fight in the Battle of the Red Ring.”  
“No wonder you fought like you did.”  
“Well I’m not exactly used to fighting giants…”  
“They can be rough. Some people joke about the ‘Nordic Space Program’ because we’ve seen people get sent flying into the sky by them.”  
“Seriously?”  
“Yeah.”

Shoda couldn’t wrap her head around that fact. Farkas just shrugged his shoulders.

“Have you thought any more about possibly joining us?”

Shoda nodded. 

“I was planning to come by once I got this sorted out.”  
“That’s nice to hear.”

The sun shone slightly on Shoda’s face. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“I enjoy the warmth of the sun. I’ve learned not to take it for granted.”  
“What taught you that lesson?”  
“For a while, I lived in Cyrodiil. There was a time when I contracted Porphyric Hemophilia when I was a teenager.”  
“Uh….what?”  
“Ah, my apologies. It’s a similar strand of Sanguinare Vampiris. It turns you into a vampire if left untreated. I foolishly decided to let it run its course. I thought that maybe the prowess it granted me would outweigh the negative effects. I was sorely mistaken. I regretted it when I could no longer safely feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I was able to be cured, and I will never go back. Though, I fear its effects still linger on with my aging process.” 

Farkas sat in silence for a moment. 

“So what's your thoughts on werewolves?”  
“I don’t think I have strong thoughts one way or the other. I haven’t exactly met any. The stories I’ve heard do frighten me…”  
“I see…”

Shoda fell silent, not knowing what to say. She decided to look at the stone tablet she found to see if she could decipher it.

“What’s that?”  
“I’m...not sure. A draugr in Bleak Falls Barrow had it. I’m trying to decipher it but it’s too worn for me to make out the details.”

Shoda suddenly felt a stinging feeling on the back of her neck. She tried to see if maybe a bug or ant had bitten her, but there wasn’t anything there. Perhaps she just needed to rest.

“You alright?”  
“Y-yeah.”

Shoda looked at the stone tablet again. She still couldn’t make anything out.

“I should probably take this to the Jarl.”  
“That’d be the best idea. His court wizard would know more about it I think.”  
“I’d hope so.”

The priestess and her apprentice finally walked over to Shoda and Farkas.

“Right then what brings you two in today?”  
“Mild concussion.”  
“Kodlak and Skjor told me to. Wanted me to make sure nothing is dislocated.”  
“Sounds like those two.”

The apprentice approached Shoda and gently placed a hand on her head. She felt a gentle stream of energy flow through her body. 

“Try standing.”

Shoda stood up and noticed she wasn’t dizzy. Farkas then stood up, moving his shoulder around. He gave a thumbs up. 

“Excellent! I’m glad we could help!”

Shoda bowed her head to show respect.

“You have my gratitude.”

Farkas nodded.

“And you have mine.”

Shoda quietly stepped out of the temple. She held the door open for Farkas. He nodded gratefully with a kind smile.

She took a few steps forward, and the stinging feeling got worse. Farkas seemed to hear something on the air. Shoda heard it too, but she didn’t know for sure. Compared to other humans and elves, she had more acute hearing. 

“Did you hear that, Farkas?”  
“Yeah, it sounded like a roar of some kind.”

Shoda felt her heart drop to the soles of her feet. It couldn’t be another dragon. Could it?

“I-I need to get to the Jarl right away! I’m sorry!”

Shoda ran off towards Dragonsreach, keeping the stone tablet tight in her grip. Farkas turned to walk to Jorrvaskr. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he wanted to be ready. Whatever he heard, it had to be stronger than a giant. 

He walked inside of Jorrvaskr. It was it’s usual atmosphere with two of the young bloods sparring. He saw Skjor, another high ranking member, standing to the side of the building. 

“Ah, finally back, Ice Brain?”

Farkas gestured for Skjor to step away from prying ears.

“I need to find Aela and my brother. Something may be happening.”  
“Like what?”  
“Trouble.”  
“What kind of trouble, Ice Brain?”  
“That’s the problem…”

Skjor looked at Farkas like he had nine heads. Had he gone mad? 

“I just need you to trust me, Skjor.”  
“I’d need to know what’s going on first.”  
“I’m telling you I don’t know. I just know it’s something.”  
“Like what??”  
“Something enough for a strange woman to need to see the Jarl with a weird stone thing! Happy?”

Skjor looked at Farkas like he grew an extra head on top of the nine he thought he had before. 

“You need fresh air, Farkas…”  
“I’m telling the truth!”  
“Outside. Now.”

Farkas wanted to speak back, but he wasn’t fond of the idea of making Skjor angry. He stepped outside. Aela was doing target practice. 

Farkas wanted to talk about what was going on, but he didn’t need another person thinking he was insane, on top of him not being the sharpest dagger in the weaponry. He was alright with the latter fact. 

Farkas heard the strange roar again. Aela seemed to hear it too, since she looked up at the sky. 

“You hear that, Farkas?”  
“Yeah. Any idea?”  
“Not sure. I heard it earlier, though.”  
“The Dunmer woman from the fight….I...can’t remember her name...either way, she seemed worried about it.”  
“Oh, you saw her?”  
“Yeah, she was at the temple getting her head looked at. When we left, that’s when we heard the first sound. She just...went pale and ran to the Jarl with a stone thing.”  
“You try telling Skjor or Kodlak?”  
“Skjor sent me out here for fresh air…”  
“I’ll go talk to him.”

Aela walked into Jorrvaskr. Farkas went after her. 

Aela approached Skjor and pulled him to the side. She tried to explain what she and Farkas had heard, but he wasn’t buying it. Farkas saw her pointing outside, but he didn’t understand what she meant. 

“Farkas!”

Farkas walked over to Skjor and Aela. 

“Tell him what we heard and what you saw.”  
“Aela, there’s no way that happened-”  
“A Dunmer woman and I heard an odd roar noise and she ran to find the Jarl. Aela and I just heard it again.”

Skjor looked at Farkas and Aela like they were vampire lords. Farkas shook his head and looked at Aela.

“I need to find my brother. Where is he?”  
“Downstairs with Kodlak.”

Farkas pushed past Aela and Skjor and walked down the stairs to the living quarters of Jorrvaskr. A few of the other newbloods were resting for the upcoming day. While he did enjoy training them, some were rather ambitious when it came to fighting. 

He made his way down the corridor. He could hear his brother and the Harbinger speaking in hushed tones. They were speaking about the burden of the blood’s call. When he reached the doorway, he knocked on the wall since the door was open.

Vilkas and Kodlak turned to him. Vilkas seemed alarmed, but Kodlak seemed amused. 

“What brings you here, Farkas?”  
“I need to talk to my brother.   
“Well I’m right here.”  
“Is something the matter?”  
“I don’t know...I think so.”

Vilkas shook his head.  
“If it’s about spiders again-”  
“It’s not. It’s something...a lot different, possibly bigger than a giant.”

Vilkas turned to Kodlak.

“You go on ahead, Vilkas. If it’s as big a threat as it possibly is, the guards will need as much help as possible.”  
“What if the silver hand attacks?”  
“I doubt that will happen.”

Vilkas looked at the harbinger with a concerned expression, but he grit his teeth and stood up.

“Let’s go, brother.”  
“Right.”

Farkas and Vilkas walked out of the living quarters and into the main area of Jorrvaskr. Skjor and Aela were arguing about the situation as the newbloods were sparring amongst themselves. 

Vilkas turned to Farkas, confused. He shrugged his shoulders. Vilkas sighed, irritated. 

“I’m going to step outside.”

Vilkas walked out of the front door. Farkas decided to follow him. 

They stood there silently for a moment. Vilkas was the first to speak.

“Whiterun is a beautiful place, isn’t it?”

Farkas nodded.  
“Not much happens here, though.”  
“That isn’t so much a bad thing, brother. It means the city stays calm. The people stay safe. That’s especially important to note with the turmoil in the other Holds.”  
“But when was the last time anyone had anything to do just here?”  
“I think you’re missing my point, brother...even if there isn’t too much happening, it isn’t always a bad thing.   
“Our job depends on something happening.”

Vilkas shook his head, chuckling slightly.

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing there’s events occurring in the other eight holds.”

Farkas chuckled slightly. Vilkas sighed.

“I do enjoy being able to converse with you outside of training. I feel like the times where we can speak just as brothers have grown more seldom ever since we joined the Circle.”  
“We have more to do. We have to make sure the newbloods don’t lose a limb or two.”

Vilkas laughed out loud when Farkas said that. Farkas shook his head with a smile. 

“How many times have they been to the Temple of Kynareth after sparring?”  
“Less than the two of us have.”

Vilkas laughed again at this.

“I’m honestly shocked WE haven’t lost any limbs!”  
“I’m shocked too.”

Their laughing was cut off by the distant roar sound again. It sounded ever so closer, but it wasn’t close enough for the other citizens of Whiterun to hear. One of the benefits of more acute hearing. Vilkas turned to Farkas.

“Is that what you were referring to, Farkas?”  
“Yeah...It sounds closer now.”

Aela and Skjor quickly stepped outside. They’d heard it too. Skjor looked at the twins.

“So that’s what you were referring to, Ice Brain?”  
“Yeah. Any idea what it is?”  
“No, but it sounds like it came from the sky.”  
“Could it be a Cliff Racer?”

The other three members of the Circle looked at Farkas like he was out of his mind. Skjor slapped his hand to his face.

“Why. Would an almost extinct, screeching bird thing from Morrowind. Be creating an ominous roar in Skyrim?”

Farkas shrugged at the others.   
“Is it really out of the question?”

“Yes!” 

The other three members of the Circle shook their heads. 

“Look, Vilkas is the one with the smarts of Ysgramor! Not me!”  
“We can tell!”

Another roar. Closer than the last. The citizens heard it this time. Sjkor looked at Aela. She was better with directions and sounds.

“Which direction, Aela?”  
“Sounded like it came from the north. Further back than Dragonsreach.”

She pointed in the direction the sound came from. It almost looked like a bird was flying up ahead. 

“Can you see which way it’s going?”  
“Looks like it may be going in the direction of the Western Watchtower.”

The figure in the sky seemed to be getting closer and closer, albeit rather slowly. It was still too far to make out any defined shapes, but it looked awfully large for a bird, even from the distance it was flying. The height at which it was soaring was much higher than the average hawk. Aela found herself intrigued by it.

“Just what in Hircine’s name is that?”

The creature seemed to come closer again with another roar sound. Farkas shook his head from the noise. He tried to look up and see what the thing was. He was able to notice an elongated tail protruding from the winged creature. 

“You don’t think that’s a dragon, do you?”  
“Don’t be nonsense, brother. Dragons are but a legend.”  
“Unless they aren’t.”

A few guards began running to the gate of the city. Something had to be happening. But what? A group of people ran out of Dragonsreach and into the central area of the Wind District. Shoda, the Jarl, his housecarl Irileth, his court wizard, and a small entourage of guards were amongst them. 

With another closer roaring sound, Shoda fell to her knees, holding her head. The guards in the division tried to make sure she was alright. A few helped her stand back up. 

Farkas and Aela recognized Shoda and ran over to the group, followed by Vilkas and Skjor. Shoda looked at Farkas and Vilkas, confused. She shook her head.

“Did...Farkas clone himself??”  
“No, I’m Vilkas. I’m his brother.”

Shoda nodded, but had to be held up by the guards when the roaring sound got closer. The Companions were noticeably affected by the sound. Shoda held her head.

“That sound is a dragon…trust me…”

Skjor and Aela looked at each other. Aela turned to shoda, confused. 

“I thought dragons were only legends…”  
“I thought so too until one showed up at my execution.”

Everyone outside of the Jarl and Irileth looked baffled. Shoda had already explained her situation to them.

“Look I’ll explain later, can we make sure Whiterun doesn’t wind up like Helgen first??”

The Companions looked at each other, and Skjor nodded.

“Depends. Are you with us?”  
“Of course I am! What makes you think I’d-”  
“You’re with Whiterun, yes. But are you with us?”

Skjor gestured between himself and the other companions. Vilkas chuckled.

“If you are keen on joining us, consider this a preliminary trial. If you survive, we’ll vouch for you.”

Shoda thought for a moment. She nodded. 

“Let’s go kill a dragon.”


	8. Through the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shodara makes an attempt to escape from the Windhelm jail.

Shodara had been observing the room around her. Immediately she could see a bottle of Lotus Extract sitting on a barrel in a dark corner. She observed the guard patrolling the perimeter of the room. He would stop to stand in front of the doors of each cell for a long moment before moving to the next one. 

Unfortunately, he would always face her when he stopped in front of her cell. Didn’t he have anything better to do? Perhaps not, otherwise he wouldn’t be guarding a dinky, stone prison. 

She watched the guard for a while, for at least a solid 15 minutes. The guard seemed to get more irritated each time he passed her. 

“Are you going to go to sleep any time soon?”  
“You don’t need to know.”

The guard stopped himself from saying anything else, and continued on with his patrol. Shodara noticed that even if the room was dark, there was enough light for shadows to be cast by several objects in the room. She thought of a plan.

She quietly curled up on the bedroll in her cell as she waited for the guard to come back around. The guard came to her cell. She saw the sword was on his left hip, based on the shadow he cast. She had to wait. A few minutes passed. When he stopped by her cell, the sword was still on his right hip. A few more minutes.

When he stopped by her cell again, the shadow cast by the guard showed the sword on the “left” hip. His back was turned. She decided to wait for another walk by just to be sure. When he approached again, his back was turned. 

Shodara silently sat up and approached the door. The key was on a ring on the guard’s left hip. She gently moved her hands through the bars. The guard didn’t notice her. She ever so carefully slid the key ring off of the ring, catching it with her spare hand so it wouldn’t clink on the ground. 

The guard then stepped away from her door, going about his usual patrol. Shodara gathered up a mass of hay in her cell, and arranged it on her bed roll. Using an illusion spell, she changed the shape of the hay to look like a woman resting. It wasn’t an exact replica, but it looked enough like her. 

She ducked into the far corner as the guard approached again. He was facing her this time. He didn’t notice that the decoy was only as such, nor did he notice Shodara in the far corner. The guard went back to his duties. 

Shodara carefully approached the door of her cell. She put the key in the lock and carefully turned it. There was a faint clicking sound as it unlocked. She wondered if the guard heard it. She ducked back into the corner as the guard approached again. He looked closely at the decoy, but he didn’t notice it was just that. He carefully pulled on the door, and it swung open.

“These damned old locks…”

The guard looked on his key ring and noticed his cell key was missing. He looked around where he was standing, but he didn’t see it on the ground. He looked into Shodara’s cell, but he thought she was still sleeping. He closed the cell door and moved a crate in front of it. Another guard came down the hallway.

“Can you watch my route for a moment? My key fell off the ring again...*”  
“Sure.”

The guard walked into the cell room, checking the floor to see if her friend’s key may still be there. She didn’t see it. She did however see a crate in front of one of the cells. 

When she approached the door, she just saw what looked to be a sleeping dunmer woman. Why was the crate here? She tugged on the door and noticed it was unlocked Well there was her answer.

The guard went on about the patrol. Shodara kept her breath quiet. There was no way she could get through the door with the crate in front. After a few minutes, the other guard came back and locked the cell door back. The two guards saluted each other, and returned to their proper patrol routines. 

The original guard moved the crate away from the cell door. He didn’t see the point in having it there. Besides, it looked tacky. 

Shodara tried to remember if she knew any spells that she could use to help her escape. She did remember that she did know a muffle spell. 

She carefully used a muffle spell around the keyhole as she put the key into the door and turned it. This time, it made no sounds which alerted the guard. She ducked into the corner again as the guard came back around to her cell. 

As the guard once again walked away, she again approached the door. She kepta muffle spell around the hinges of the old cell door. She gingerly pushed the door open, and ever more carefully pushed it closed. She locked the door back and rolled into the corner with the barrels and crates. 

Shodara grabbed the bottle of lotus extract from the top of the barrel. She had a feeling she would need it. The guard went by her cell again, and just continued the routine. Shodara kept to the wall opposite of the cells. 

She carefully ducked into the hallway. There was a guard coming down, so she stepped into an alcove. As the guard passed, she stepped into the corridor. She followed it up to the room where the off duty guards were resting. Shodara saw a chest. It had to contain her belongings.

She carefully snuck over, and used her muffle spell to make sure no one heard her retrieve her belongings. She noticed a wardrobe on the other side of the room. She made sure to step silently, and made sure to keep a spell over the door. There was an extra guard uniform and helmet. She carefully slid it over her rags. 

She kept herself on high alert, but when she passed a patrolling guard, he didn’t notice anything. She managed to walk right on by. She didn’t actually speak to anyone. Her voice would give her away. 

Her nerves started rushing as she entered into the blue hall of the Palace of Kings. There were guards right by the door. To top it off, the Jarl and one of his top officers was in the room as well. She simply did a salute to the guards and they nodded at her. She walked right on by. 

The bitter skyrim air pierced through her clothing. She felt like her lungs were freezing. She simply walked down the worn streets of the ancient city. She decided to take the gate by the docks, rather than the main gate to draw less attention. 

She pushed the gate open and slipped her way out of the city. The snow was starting to fall. Good cover. She walked down the stairway to the dock. But something felt wrong. 

She felt a pressure in her head, similar to what she vaguely felt when she escaped the cart to Helgen. She shook her head, figuring it was from going from the warmth of being inside to the bitter cold of Skyrim. 

As she walked closer and closer to the docks, the pain in her head grew. What was happening?

When she looked up, the shape of a dragon was flying directly overhead, followed by a deafening roar. She held her forearms to her ears to block out the noise. 

The dragon did not stop over Windhelm, rather, it started to fly in the direction of Whiterun. Perhaps it was going to attack there. Whatever its plans were, they did not concern Shodara. She decided to go to the Windhelm stables to hire a carriage to Riften. 

The conversation was short, and she stayed silent as the old carriage made its way to Riften, gently creaking and rocking on the worn pathway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are having trouble telling what's going on. This chapter takes place at the same time as the last one, where Shoda meets the Companions and goes to Whiterun. The dragon at the end is the same one attacking Whiterun.


	9. Child of Akatosh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighters of Whiterun band together to defend their home. Afterwards, Shoda finds out what being a “Child of Akatosh” truly entails for her.

Shoda was running to the western watchtower with the entourage of fighters and guards. She felt like her head may crack and burst open with each passing second as they got closer and closer to where the dragon was sited. 

Farkas saw what was happening with her, and slowed his pace to run beside her. 

“Are you alright?”  
“Aside from my head feeling like it’s going to explode?” I’m just dandy!”

Shoda spoke with a heavy tone of sarcasm. 

“I know this is a bad time, but what’s your name again? I’m not great with names.”  
“Don’t worry about it, it’s Shoda. You’re Vilkas, right?”  
“No, I’m Farkas. Vilkas has shorter hair.”  
“Well that should be easy to remember.”

Aela yelled from the front of the group.

“Hey Ice Brain! Care to pick up the pace?”  
“Sorry!”

Farkas turned his sight to Shoda.

“You okay to catch up?”  
“Yeah.”

Shoda and Farkas picked up their running pace. Skjor looked back at them briefly before looking back at the watchtower, which was surrounded by burning debris. 

Irileth looked around the area, keeping a grip on her sword  
“Everyone spread out, but keep your guard up. That dragon is bound to be around here somewhere.”

Farengar - the Court wizard, walked beside a few other guards. Shoda walked around with the Companions. Irileth stood with a few other guards. 

Shoda looked at the destruction, dumbfounded and distraught. She felt sick to her stomach. Aela saw her expression.

“You alright there?”  
“I should be...last time I saw something like this I nearly died, so I think it’s just my body reacting…”

To be fair, Shoda didn’t know an exact reason for her sickly feeling. She just pulled an explanation out of the air. She did have a feeling it had to do with the stress, however. 

She decided to walk back to the watchtower. When she nearly stepped into the doorway, she fell to her knees, holding her head in pain. A guard was on top of the tower, watching in horror. 

“By the gods! That thing is coming back!”

Shoda looked up to see the dragon soaring its way back to the watchtower. She frantically pulled herself to her feet and pulled her greatsword from her back. She jumped down from the stairs and grouped up with the guards and Companions. 

Aela took a group of archers to the side of the watchtower. They released a volley of arrows, with a majority of the arrows hitting their target. It didn’t phase the dragon. 

“Archers! Prepare to fire again!”

The dragon curved around the watchtower and landed on a spot of land opposite from everyone. The dragon unhinged its gaping jaws and released a jet of flames. Almost everyone scattered in different directions, but Shoda was caught in the fire. She could feel her skin come close to melting off the muscles and bones, despite having a natural resistance to flames. Yet all the same, the flames felt familiar, almost familial. 

She rolled to the side and ran forward, swinging her sword at its leg. Although her sword didn’t break, it barely did anything to scratch the amorous scales of the dragon. 

Skjor ran to the dragon and slammed a warhammer into its side. The dragon staggered to the side as a disturbing ringing sound came from the site where he struck. Vilkas and Farkas attacked opposite sides, with Farkas doing more damage. The dragon swiped at them with its tail. Vilkas managed to dodge it, but Farkas was knocked back. 

Shoda ran to Farengar, who was sending a volley of firebolts at the dragon. 

“Need some backup!?”  
“Some assistance would be welcome, yes! Aim for areas between the scales, we can expose some of the weaker skin!”

Shoda nodded and aimed her firebolts where she saw the Companions strike. Surely it had to be weakened there. She released a barrage of firebolts, and one of the scales began to crack. 

One of the guards saw this and slammed his battleaxe into the side of the dragon. The dragon roared as one of the smaller scales flew off. It swiped at the guard as it took back again to the skies. The guard managed to dodge the attack. 

Aela was with the archers and Irileth. This time, Irileth took command. 

“Ready your weapons!”

The archers raised their bows at the dragon circling overhead. 

“Fire!”

The archers released their volley. Irileth saw the exposed skin, and fired an arrow, hitting it spot on. The dragon roared in near agony, squirming in the air before landing again. Aela gave the Dark Elf a thumbs up. She nodded back. 

When the dragon landed again, Shoda ran in with the other Companions. Farkas and Vilkas swing their weapons at the front legs of the dragon, while Skjor swung at the dragon's head. The dragon unhinged its jaws and swiped its tail. Vilkas pulled Farkas out of the way, and Skjor got away from the dragon. 

Once again, the dragon let a jet of flames loose at Shoda.

“Come on!? Again?!”  
“Mah ark Aus! Fall and suffer!”

Shoda looked bewildered as she rolled away from the flames. She turned to one of the guards that was running towards the dragon. 

“Did anyone else here that thing talk??”  
“Dragons can’t speak! Keep your head in the fight!”

Shoda was dumbfounded. Surely someone had to hear what she heard, right? It was too loud for someone not to hear it. She regrouped with the Companions. Farkas and Vilkas were bewildered at the strength of the creature. Farkas turned to Shoda. 

“You alright?? That’s twice its got you!”  
“I’m a Dunmer! I can stand a fire!”  
“The archers are going to go again, that should be enough to weaken it to bring it down! Be ready!”  
“Got it!”

The dragon suddenly took Shoda in its jaws and took to the skies once more. The arches saw this and halted their attacks. Aela looked up in a panic. Shoda swung her sword at its head, trying to get it to let her go. She screamed at the archers.

“Don’t let up your attacks! I trust you not to hit me!”

Aela and Irileth raised their bows, followed by the guards. Irileth and Aela fired their arrows, hitting the dragon in each of its eyes. It let out a deafening roar, dropping Shoda a good distance - about 20 feet. She landed flat on her back, bouncing slightly with her armor clanking. 

She groaned from the pain, barely able to lift her head up. The dragon swirled around before making a dive to the ground. Shoda felt a surge of adrenaline as she pulled out her hunting bow. She strung an iron arrow and aimed it at the exposed flesh. 

“Akatosh and Azura guide me!”

She let the arrow fly. It pierced the skin and went right into the dragon’s heart. The creature let out an agonizing roar as it dove to the ground, well behind Shoda. As it passed over her, she heard it speak again. 

“Dovahkiin?? No!!”

The creature crashed into the ground, and its breath and body went still. Was it over? One of the guards approached it, poking it with a sword. The dragon was dead. The guard laughed with relief and exhaustion.

“Everyone! Victory is ours!”

Everyone burst into cheers of joy. Vilkas pulled Farkas into a brotherly hug, while Aela laughed alongside Skjor. Irileth exchanged a handshake with Farengar, and the guards exchanged their out forms of gratitude and congratulations. Shoda wanted to stand, but she felt too sore to stand up. 

Farkas saw her on the ground and approached with Vilkas. Farkas spoke first. 

“Can you stand?”  
“No…”

Vilkas had seen her fall, but he didn’t know it was this bad.   
“Do you want some help?”  
“Yes please…”

Farkas and Vilkas stood on either side of her, and they grabbed her by the shoulders. Farkas turned his gaze to Shoda.

“We’re gonna pick you up on three, got it?”  
“Mhm.”

“1,2,3.”

The brothers lifted her up, and she gasped from the pain. They slung her arms around their shoulders. Vilkas turned to his brother.

“We should get her to the Temple.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Wait, I need to see the dragon first...Something doesn’t feel right.”

Farkass was shocked.  
“Are you sure? You look really banged up.”  
“Yes, I’m sure.”

Vilkas shook his head with a sigh.   
“Fine, but you still need to go to the Temple.”  
“That’s fine.”

The brothers carefully led her to the fallen dragon. It’s body seemed to be breaking down, leaving Shoda awestruck.

“That thing actually spoke...It said ‘fall and suffer’ and then ‘Dovahkiin, no’. But no one else seemed to hear it. But that’s beside the point, what’s going on with its body?”

Vilkas was intrigued by what was happening, while Farkas was dumbfounded. Aela and Skjor approached with Farengar. Farengar noticed a strange mark on Shoda’s neck, but he knew what it was.

“Pardon me, but is that a mark of Akatosh?”  
“Yes it is, why do you ask?”  
“It’s just I haven’t met many followers of Akatosh with the mark.”  
“I’ve had it since I was a baby. My father and mother were devout followers of Akatosh, despite most Dunmer not following the Pantheon of the Nine”  
“That’s certainly wonderful! Would you be-”

Farengar was cut off as the dragon’s body began to glow with a blinding light. From its body, a column of light raised and swirled about before flowing towards Shoda. Farkas tried to protect her from it, fearing it would hurt her, but it just went right through him.

Shoda’s mark glowed as the light entered her body. She felt a gentle stream of energy flow through her as she absorbed the light from the dragon. She felt her pain easing away as she pulled herself away from the brothers supporting her. She saw everyone looking at her in awe. Farengar looked the most intrigued. 

“Dragonborn...of course…”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Dragonborn. You’re what’s considered a Child of Akatosh, are you not?”  
“Well yes. I already told you, my parents were devout followers ever since I was a baby.”  
“Then at some point, you received the Blessing of Akatosh. Because of that, you received the gift of the Dragonborn.”

Shoda looked around confused, but the guards wore enamored looks. Irileth, Skjor, and Aela, however, were not buying the story. Skjor looked at Farengar, unamused.

“Farengar, just what in Hircine’s name are you talking about? It’s possible this woman is just a powerful mage, she is an elf after all.”  
“Sir, I need you to trust me, this woman is what is called Dragonborn.”

Farengar gestured to Shoda, who raised her hands in confusion.

“Don’t look at me! I don’t have anything to do with this!”  
“Yes, ma’am. You do.”  
“Like what??”  
“That light. You saw it, did you not?”  
“I don’t know how I wouldn’t have seen it. What’s your point?”  
“That was the dragon’s soul. You absorbed its soul because you yourself have the blood and soul of a dragon.”  
“But I’m an elf!”  
“And Tiber Septim was a human, as was his descendant, Martin Septim. Yet they too bore the soul of a dragon.”

Shoda frantically looked around at the guards and the Companions. Aela shook her head and turned to Farangar. 

“With all due respect sir, the dragonborn is just a tall tale. A story we were all told as children. There is no record of any of these previous ‘dragonborns’ doing anything remotely close to slaying dragons or absorbing their souls.”  
“Because there weren’t dragons during their times, ma’am.”  
“So then why are they here now?”  
“I don’t know, miss.”

Aela turned to Shoda, who turned back to Farengar.

“What other proof do you have that I am even remotely close to being this ‘dragonborn’ or what have you?”  
“You can Shout, can you not? You told me that you found a word wall in Bleak Falls Barrow. With the dragon's soul, you should have enough power to Shout.”

Shoda still looked confused, but she tried to trust him. She stood a little bit away from everyone, not wanting them to get caught in...whatever it was she was going to do. 

She took a deep inhale, and slowly let it out, feeling her energy flow through her like a mighty rapids. She concentrated on the word she read in Bleak Falls Barrow. She could feel herself begin to tip from the surge of energy she felt. Finally, she released it in a single word. 

“FUS!”

With that, her voice was projected into an Unrelenting Force. The debris on the ground tumbled away from her. What just happened? She heard sounds of awe. Even Aela, Skjor, and Irileth were in awe. 

She saw the guards around her bow their heads in respect, followed by Farengar, and then the Companions. Why? She was just a normal person, wasn’t she? Why did this one fight suddenly have everyone acting as if she was a goddess among mortals? She never was. She never wanted to be. She felt her head spinning, and she felt her stomach going sick. Her adrenaline was fading as she lost her feeling in her legs. 

She could only see a blur before her vision faded. She could only hear a cloud of voices. Nothing made sense. Before her hearing faded, she heard a voice speak to her, but it felt like it was coming from inside as opposed to coming from the cloud around her. 

“As you use your Thu’um to release an Unrelenting Force, remember me, Dii Briinah, My Sister. And I will stand beside you as Hin Zeymah, Your Brother.”

With that, her hearing faded out.


End file.
